Rockies cruisin’ on right course

DENVER — LIKE ANY BUSINESS, choices concerning the operational value of a Major League Baseball franchise are tough.

What’s worse is when choices like those the Colorado Rockies have made in the past don’t pan out.

But the oranization’s latest decision to build from the bottom up through a farm system is right on the money.

After a few successful early years, throwing money at the Mike Hamptons and Denny Neagles of the world seemed like the best answer to kick start the pitching-side of a franchise loaded with big guns at the plate.

But it proved futile when the strong arms didn’t play as well in the Colorado altitude as they did for their former teams.

By then it was too late.

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More than $28 million is still being dolled out to Neagle, Hampton, Charles Johnson and Larry Walker. Compare that to the Rockies on-field payroll of $48.15 million.

Multi-million dollar contracts on the four former All-Stars have kept the Rockies committed for many years.

In addition, there is no support in Colorado for the team. To be fair, there is no long standing tradition of baseball, either. It’s not fair to compare the Rockies with century-old teams such as the Yankees, where the population in a 20-mile radius of the stadium is three times that of the entire population of Colorado and revenues have been pouring in since the days of prohibition.

So paying big bucks for free agents in a market with no established support is not a logical option.

An owner with more money won’t change that. So, calling for the team’s sale isn’t an option, either.

Arguments are Dick and Charlie Monfort are not of George Steinbrenner’s calibur. Well, welcome to the real world, neither are 29 other owners who are at least $400 million his junior.

But for the Monforts, big business is nothing new. Neither is trying times.

All isn’t lost, however. There is a solution.

And it’s exactly what they’ve pledged. Go back to the tried and true method of a farm system — a building process that has proven effective for decades but requires some patience.

When players are with each other for a few years, they understand the philosophy of the team and there is chemistry among them. They’ve been with the team since day one and understand what the pitching philosophy is, what the offensive strategy is, what the defensive strategy is.

In addition, free-agency prices are exorbitant and farm system finances are much simpler — you start at entry-level pay and work your way up.

What a concept, pay proportionate to performance.

Now all the organization needs is for the fans to cooperate.

Sure, it’s hard to watch an 11-2 game when your team is the one bearing single-digit runs, and the wins are far and few between. But baseball is baseball. What other professional sport in Colorado can you attend for as little as $4?

The flopped contracts will be gone by 2006, a new group of exciting young players will become familiar faces, and the value of the team will grow.

Until then, just enjoy a day of hot dogs at the park and, if needed, remember the Broncos and the Nuggets have more losing seasons than the number of years the Rockies have existed.